


Free Bird

by HisAsgardianAngel



Category: Fallout 3
Genre: Black Widow perk, Charon centric, Charon is a grumpy boi, Drama & Romance, F/M, Ghouls, Moriarty is Dead, My First Work in This Fandom, One Shot, Post-Nuclear War, Romance, Spoilers, The Enclave - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-10
Updated: 2017-06-10
Packaged: 2018-11-12 07:51:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11157471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HisAsgardianAngel/pseuds/HisAsgardianAngel
Summary: The Lone Wanderer is captured by the Enclave, and Charon returns to Underworld in anguish. Kind of my head canon of what happened to Charon after the kidnapping, since in-game you wake up and he's just gone. This is for my beautiful girlfriend, Brooke, I love you <3





	Free Bird

**Author's Note:**

> All characters belong to Bethesda

Scarlett’s dark red hair blended perfectly with the thick hot stream of burgundy now pouring from her body. It pooled around her, slippery, sticky. She already couldn’t remember what had stricken the blow, only that she could hear the terrible sound of steel scraping against steel as someone or something in heavy armor marched toward her. She was almost positive it wasn’t the Brotherhood…and that left her with one other suspect. She could feel her companion, Charon, scrambling around in her bags for anything that could help her, and she struggled to smile up at him.

            Scarlett had been traveling with Charon for a long time, almost as long as she had been out of the Vault. He’d become more to her than just her obligatory companion or friend, much more; she’d seen the whole world in his lonely eyes when she first secured his contract from that horrible monster in the Ninth Circle. But that was the thing about Charon, she doubted she meant anything more to him than just the next person he had to serve, no matter how many times she’d tried to relieve him of all contractual bindings, forever. She wanted him to be free, to live a happy life, whether he chose to stay by her side or not. There was something inside of Charon, however, that just wouldn’t let that happen. It almost looked like it caused him physical pain when she mentioned tearing up his contract, like he didn’t know how to live as a whole person without doing what he’d been brainwashed to do. Nothing in the wasteland broke her heart the way that did.

            “Y-You need to go. Get out of here, I t-think it’s the Enclave.” Scarlett coughed hard as she spoke, struggling to reach out and touch the ghoul, who growled loudly and dug harder through the bag.

            “I’m not afraid of any glorified tin cans. You need a stimpak.” Scarlett hadn’t told him that they’d run out of medical aid about the time that they had arrived at Vault 87…there was nothing left, not even Chems. She hadn’t wanted him to worry, he already thought she pushed herself too hard. Charon grabbed fistfuls of useless items in an almost panic, though the wanderer would tell he was trying his damnedest to keep his stoic demeanor intact. Among the string of items he’d grabbed was his contract, which he paused for a moment to gaze at as Scarlett made a decision that she’d promised herself she’d never do. She’d never given Charon an actual order the entire time he’d traveled with her, he was not her servant or her slave, that was not how she did things. But the metal boots tromping down against the dingy hollow floors was getting louder, and she knew they wouldn’t hesitate to shoot a ghoul on sight.

            “Charon, you need to leave. Now. That’s an order.” Her companion halted in his tracks, as if her words had run his blood cold. He leaned over her slowly, forcing her fading green eyes to stare into his own.

            “You can’t do that. You can’t make me leave you for dead. I refuse.” She forced a laugh, and a smile that didn’t meet her eyes.

            “I paid 2000 caps for you to leave me here, and you’ll do it. It’s the only thing I e-ever asked of—” Scarlett couldn’t finish that sentence, coughing blood all down her chin as tears began to slowly roll down her dirt stained cheeks. “P-Please.” Her half choke half sob tugged at his heartstrings, using his thumb to very gently brush her tears away. He bent down, lips delicately pressing against her own before he begrudgingly obeyed his first and only orders, disappearing into the shadows just in time to avoid a swarm of Enclave soldiers.

            Charon was fixated on the memory, fidgeting guiltily in his chair back at the Ninth Circle, where it had all begun. It had taken him two weeks to walk back to Underworld, two dreadful, heartbroken weeks. The ghoul was drowning himself in whiskey as he stared at the now blood-soaked piece of paper that his companion…his Scarlett had tried to shred so many times. Now he almost wished he’d let her. Putting his head in his hands, he tried hard to think about the people who raised him. Who were they? Why did they do this to him? Why couldn’t he remember?

            ‘ _You are a fool, Charon. You abide by rules put in place by people you can’t even remember, and you let her die because of it.’_ He thought to himself angrily, grabbing the bottle he’d been drinking from and throwing it at the wall in front of him. She’d been the best employer he’d ever had…she treated him…like a human being. She treated him like he was worth a damn. _‘Damn it!’_

            “Whoa there, Drunkie.” Charon’s eyes scanned the room quickly, recognizing that voice instantly. It was a voice that grated on his nerves more than he’d care to admit, as the body that belonged to it made him stew with jealousy. He lifted his gaze to meet that of Gob, who had been standing there for lord only knows how long. Charon groaned. That goody-two shoes had flirted with Scarlett more times than Moriarty had caps.

            “Shouldn’t you be in Megaton? Fuck off.” Gob only snorted, pulling up a chair rather bravely beside the other ghoul. He smiled kindly at Charon, who resented it deeply.

            “I came to see Carol. I’m free to do that thanks to your wanderer, life’s been a lot easier since she put a cap in that bastard Moriarty.” Charon grimaced.

            “You’re in the wrong bar, moron. Carol is next door.” Gob put his hands up in surrender, scooting back a little as Charon’s stare started to feel like it was attempting to light him ablaze.  

            “Don’t hit me! I only stopped by to give you these letters, I thought Scar would have wanted them…and she’s always with you, so…” Charon numbly took the crumpled-up pieces of paper from Gob, who didn’t wait for a response before he got up and sprinted for the door. There was a small part of Charon that hoped the letters were from her Dad, it had killed him in last few weeks to watch her suffer after he passed away, and letters addressed from him would have meant a lot to her. Even if the Enclave had killed her, he could take the letters to the last place he’d seen her alive, as a sort of memorial.

            “I’m gonna need another bottle thinking about shit like that.” He grumbled to himself, taking a deep breath before unfolding the first letter. He almost couldn’t make out the writing, it was rare to find someone in the wasteland who could write at all, most things were done on holotapes, but if he squinted he could read what was scratched into the paper as if written by a child.

 _Beloved, the pain of your absence is at times crippling. But I must persevere. I must!_ _It is very important work I am doing for mankind. Oh, but I wish I could sweep it all away to be with you now! Be patient love. I will send for you soon. –Burke_

Who the fuck was Burke? A slow rage began to build as he flipped through the rest of the letters, ripping them in half and grabbing the edge of the table, turning it over and slamming it into the wall with all his might. The room trembled, and everyone stopped to stare, though no one dared speak a word. No one was going to cross Charon after what happened to Ahzrukhal. Charon didn’t even know why he was so angry, he didn’t…he…he cried. Charon didn’t remember ever crying before. It felt like his heart broke further every time a tear fell, realizing much too late that he was in love with her.

            He was in love with the messy way she wore her hair and the way her almond shaped eyes twinkled when she smiled. He was in love with her filthy sense of humor, even though he never laughed with her and she never expected him to. He was in love with the way she helped people, never asking for a single thing in return. But most of all Charon was in love with his best friend…his only friend. He wiped a tear from his milky blue eyes and picked up his contract with a new resolve. Fuck this, he didn’t need an employer, Scarlett had never been that to him…he’d been free this entire time, and he knew it. And as far as he was concerned, if Scarlett wasn’t his employer, he didn’t give a single fuck about her order. He didn’t know if she was still alive, but by god he was about to find out.

            Charon slung his rifle over his shoulder and grabbed the ammo boxes he’d been stashing inside Ahzrukhal’s old safe, ripping open the door to the Ninth Circle and heading toward the museum entrance. He planned on marching back to Vault 87 and hunting those Enclave sons of bitches down, he’d even bring Dogmeat with him if he had to. He was contemplating where it would be that he’d find the mangy mutt (Charon didn’t much like dogs) when the doors to the lobby swung wide open.

            “Get out of my way, I’m—” Charon trailed off when he noticed who had stepped through the walkway. Her armor was in tethers, hair tangled, skin stained with blood and dirt…but those beautiful green eyes were bright and smiled as invitingly to the ghoul as those pouty lips of hers did. Charon almost couldn’t breathe.

            “Scarlett…” She laughed at the sound of his voice.

            “Alive and in the flesh. Turns out they only wanted to bring me to their leader…I have tons to tell you, President Eden is—” Charon shot her a look and began walking toward her quickly, shutting her up as he reached into his pocket for his contract. He stopped mere inches away from her, placing the paper very delicately in her hands.

            “Charon?” Scarlett’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion, but her companion didn’t bother to answer. Charon was a man of action, not a man of words. He silently reached for her hands again, taking her fingers and helping her softly rip the contract into tiny pieces. Scarlett’s mouth fell ajar slightly, eyes searching his own for any answer at all, but there was none. She went to open her mouth but shut it again as she noticed his sudden movement, hands forcefully hoisting her up and into his arms as he kissed her deeply. Scarlett moaned in surprise, deepening the kiss as their tongues danced together for the first time. He sat her down, fingers curling into her hair as she continued to lovingly nibble on his bottom lip.

            “Don’t you ever die on me again.” He whispered, holding her against him as she gently nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck. She grinned.

            “Is that an order, Charon?” For once, the ghoul actually cracked a smile.

            “You bet your sweet ass it is.”   

     


End file.
